Contact and off contact photo exposure machines are used to expose photosensitized work-pieces for a variety of industrial purposes. In general, an exposure frame assembly is used by the machine operator to introduce a photosensitized work-piece and associated artwork into the exposure machine. In use, the operator loads work-piece into the exposure frame assembly. Next the exposure frame assembly moves the work-piece into the exposure zone of the exposure machine. After completion of the exposure process, the exposure machine returns the exposure frame assembly to the operator. The operator then opens the exposure frame assembly, removes the exposed work-piece and reloads the exposure frame assembly for the next operating cycle.
Conventional exposure frames such as that taught by U.S. Pat. No. 3,479,121 are opened manually by the operator, which is inconvenient and which limits system throughput.